IndyCar Series: Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's

Topics:  Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's

Scott Dixon
A.J. Foyt IV
August 11, 2007

SPARTA, KENTUCKY

THE MODERATOR: We're going to get started here. We are joined by today's second-place finisher, Scott Dixon. Scott, talk about the race today.
SCOTT DIXON: We tested very well here with the car we brought like two weeks ago. We seemed to be a mile an hour clear of definitely the AGR cars that were testing at the same time. Then when we came back, we seemed to be a mile an hour slower than them, so it seemed quite mysterious. The only thing we did change was the engine, so I'm not sure if that was sort of the difference.
Today, yeah, it was just one of those races where we didn't really have the speed. We just had to sort of try and hook on. Early on I tried to sort of get back in the pack a little bit, try and save a bit of gas. Realized that we didn't have the car to do it, maybe try and go a couple of laps earlier. But that was changed with the caution.
You know, luckily enough, the guys were fantastic in the pits. We jumped, you know, the two leaders towards the end of the race. T.K. got by on the restart. Those guys were just so fast accelerating, went right around the outside of me. We managed to keep Dario behind us, who is definitely a lot quicker, but it's very hard to pass once you stick on the white line.
Then coming into the pits, he seemed to mess it up and nearly run over the back of us there. We had a good, clean pit stop. And then on the restart, yeah, we just really didn't have enough I think for the 11 car all day. To be honest, I think it was Dario's sort of day to lose a lot of points, and they definitely messed up pretty big.
THE MODERATOR: As you mentioned with the points, he's now cut Dario's lead to eight. How do you change, if anything, your strategy heading into the final three races of the season?
SCOTT DIXON: It doesn't really change it at all. I think for us, you know, we've got to try to go out there and win races. If we can't win, we've got to try and finish second, and so on. That's the biggest way we can try and gain points. You know, the big picture is obviously to try to stay in front of Dario. But T.K.'s obviously closing the gap, too, now. I think he's only 50 points behind us, maybe 58 out of the lead. We definitely don't need him winning any more, so we've definitely got to try to put that to a stop.
Yeah, I don't know, we'll stay aggressive. We've got a test next week. I know a few other people have. We've just got to try to stay on top of our game and make sure we keep the pressure on those boys.
THE MODERATOR: We're also joined by today's third-place finisher, A.J. Foyt, IV. Today's third-place finish was a career best. His previous best finish was ninth place.
A.J., tell us about the run today.
A.J. FOYT, IV: My run was actually obviously really good for us, really good for my team. My team had amazing pit stops. That's what really got me up there. We were always in the top seven, top six all day long. But the pit stops got me up there in the lead there with 12 to go. Obviously Tony was very strong, so it wasn't really any holding him off. And then Scott snuck under me there coming off of turn two. Gave him just a little bit of room, and he did it.
But it was good for us. You know, I wasn't going to, you know -- I raced clean all day with everybody. No sense in changing there at the end. It's just very good for the team. I owe it all to my guys doing my pit stops, and my engineer gave me a great car today
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What tactics can you use on the road courses these next two races from getting to the ovals to gain points from teammates?
SCOTT DIXON: It's tough. You could even see them working together pretty obvious today. You know, I thought we had sort of had that discussion after Michigan, that stuff shouldn't go on. But Tony was definitely being very blatant I think much of the race. To touch on one, I don't know what Sam was doing there, because that guy was all over the place.
Everybody is meant to be on probation, and nothing happens. It's quite strange how the league doesn't seem to, you know, jump on top of these people. I've been on the receiving end of it. It's not nice. But I think a few others should.
I think there's a few ways of looking at that going into the championship. Obviously AGR's got four cars which can be, you know, tough to beat, especially when two of them are very quick and working together like they did today.
You know, then the other way to look at it is I have my teammate, Dan, who is extremely fast at most places, and he's almost out of it. So he might be a little more aggressive than those guys want to be.
There's going to be different ways that people approach these weekends. But, you know, it's going to be tough no matter what. You know, the two guys that we're fighting at the moment are going to be very, very hard to beat.

Q. Why does Tony seem to be so fast out front today?
SCOTT DIXON: I have no idea, man. When we were here at the test, you know, we were very similar or quicker. Then when you come back, for a guy to get the pole position by over 1.2 mile an hour seems pretty suspect to me.
A.J. FOYT, IV: I don't know.

Q. A.J., what's changed with Vision Racing the second half of the year that made you so much faster?
A.J. FOYT, IV: I think really it's just one of those deals where the team's coming together. Me and my engineer's coming together. You know, this is our first year to work together. He's just starting to learn what I like and what I don't like.
You know, he's gave me a decent car all year long, but today's car was really I could do whatever I wanted to with it. Just a little bit more speed, overall speed. But, you know, I think everybody wants that, including Dixon, to catch up to the 11 car.
But, you know, I can't ask for anything more than my guys, the pit stops to keep getting better. Everybody is just working hard. And Larry Curry, the team manager, to do whatever they can to get us faster.

Q. (No microphone.)
A.J. FOYT, IV: Obviously, I'm happier how I'm running. I did struggle my first couple years. Just learning more and more about these cars, learning the setup more about these cars, learning more about what I like. This is my first year in the IndyCar Series with an engineer to work with, so I think that definitely helps a lot also.

Q. (No microphone.)
A.J. FOYT, IV: No. No. When we were in the pack before the yellow came out, it was a group of four or five of us, and then it was Tony. I knew with him behind me, I knew the minute he pulled the outside of me that easily, then just kept on going on the outside of me, you know, I don't think anybody was going to touch him today. It was pretty much a race for second.

Q. (No microphone.)
A.J. FOYT, IV: Yeah, I was telling my spotter on the radio, because it was so early in the race, there was no sense I was on the inside, she was on the outside, there was no sense in us to be side by side. From like the second lap, I was doing that, I was telling her to line up, wanted her to line up so we could run faster. And finally she did. We ran like a mile-and-a-half faster, started catching back up to the past. You hate racing side by side for 10th place on lap 10.
THE MODERATOR: Guys, thank you. Congratulations.